Quality Indicator #10: Employer Satisfaction

Supported employment service providers must not view themselves as human service providers, but rather as employment service agencies. This is a significant paradigm shift for many supported employment organizations that emphasizes a competitive and valued offering of needed services to employers. The language must be business to business; the message must be clear: "Our company will fill your personnel needs!" This shift establishes an approach that presents the service, as well as the person with a significant disability, in a competent and respected manner. In addition, it focuses the organization's resources on the business community and is designed to satisfy employment needs (Green and Brooke, 2001).

Job placement personnel with rehabilitation programs are still fairly hidden from the business community. Businesses looking to recruit and hire people with disabilities can't seem to find the rehabilitation programs in the community, nor do they know how to recruit people with disabilities who want to work (Peck and Kirkbride, 2001). It is fair to say that most rehabilitation professionals assisting people with disabilities in obtaining employment do not see themselves as customer representatives with direct responsibility for building on going relationships with the business community. Yet, the task of customer relationships should be the primary responsibility for all rehabilitation personnel. Programs can measure the quality of their service to employers by reviewing the following quality indicators.

Does the supported employment program develop business profiles complete with business culture notations and language specific to the identified business?

Does the supported employment provide staff development training that training rehabilitation personnel to use business friendly language?

Has the supported employment program established a sense of urgency that is responsive to the business community?

Does the supported employment program do community outreach and provide training on disability awareness?

Does the supported employment program serve as liaison for the business and people with disabilities?

Does the supported employment program involve the business community in the development of the organization's policy?

The above indicators of a quality supported employment program ensure that the community rehabilitation program is developing strong strategies for developing productive business relationships. These are the key areas which business considers roadblocks to productive relationships with rehabilitation programs (Egan, 2001).